Elias Cornelius Boudinot: A Life on the Cherokee Border

Abstract

Elias Cornelius Boudinot: A Life on the Cherokee Border. By James W. Parins. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2006. Pp. 252. Acknowledgments, illustrations, notes, bibliography, index. $60.00.) Elias Cornelius Boudinot might have been subtitled Cherokee Robber Barren except that Boudinot's get-rich quick schemes never brought him the wealth he desired. As historian James Parins points out, Boudinot's personal heritage marked his life. His father, Buck Oo-watie, who had adopted the name Elias Boudinot, and his uncle Major Ridge and cousin John Ridge had been assassinated by followers of Principal Chief John Ross in 1839, following their support of the Treaty of New Echota, which led to the Cherokee removal on the Trail of Tears. The murders and the hasty exodus by his family and other members of the Treaty party from Indian Territory to Arkansas left an indelible impression on Elias Cornelius. Eike his family, Boudinot was determined to stand up for what he believed in, regardless of the enemies it created. Parins shows that Elias Cornelius Boudinot consistently supported Cherokee "progress toward civilization," as his elders had. For him, "progress" meant the end of tribal sovereignty and governance, the building of railroads through Indian Territory, and the opening of the territory to whites to bring in trade, tourism, and greater economic prosperity. Parins analyzes Boudinot's strategies to accomplish his objectives, including newspaper editorials and classical rhetoric, which he used to persuade a variety of audiences that his perspective was the only legitimate one. Obviously, most white Americans needed little persuasion to accept his arguments and transform them into official policies. However, as Parins so adeptly reveals, the majority of Cherokees branded Boudinot, as they had his father, a traitor to his people. The reader knows the ultimate outcome. The railroads came through Indian Territory in the late 180Os, and whites overran the territory, grabbed lands legally and illegally, and soon pushed the territory into statehood as Oklahoma, leaving little power and less prosperity for the Cherokees. What the reader will learn from Parins' work is that Boudinot facilitated these developments through political lobbying, expert networking amongst the railroad and business communities, and powerful oratory on speaking tours around the country. The reader will also learn that Boudinot's political and economic ambition fueled his quest for this "progress" for his people. …